Don’t Let Marketing Collateral Fall Between the Cracks

Uncertain economic times doesn’t change the fact that b-to-b marketers need to focus on the basics of attaining new customers. Offering current collateral pieces in desirable formats is one of them.

According to BtoB online’s article “Finding the Best Collateral Mix”, while this appears easy enough, marketers usually don’t put enough thought into their marketing collateral plans. Specifically, BtoB advises that marketers should conduct regular reviews of their marketing collateral to determine what content they have and what new needs may have emerged. Consider this “content audit” something that should have a clear focus on what’s needed at different stages of the buying cycle and by different types of clients.

Marketers should also focus their collateral development efforts on gaps identified in content – as opposed to simply identifying that they need to produce a certain number of pieces in a year. If there is a particular relevant event that affects your customer and prospect base, like the current economy, consider collateral that addresses their pain points and provides solutions.

Similarly, marketers must also keep the needs of their sales team in mind, and align collateral directly to the sales process and to sales activities.